Simpson Desert Motorcycle Tour - Alice Springs to Birdsville 6 days 900km

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100% dirt touring, don't miss out, book early

Welcome to our Simpson Desert Motorcycle Tour page

Our Simpson Desert motorcycle tour will ride all of the 1100 sand dunes and see incredible desert beauty on this tour. 

We cater for the riders who just want to get across the Simpson Desert using our experience of this crossing while at the same time having a lot of fun.

This Simpson Desert motorcycle tour is definitely one of the number one motorcycle tours in the world and if you are a motorcycle rider it is a must to do this journey, once in your life time.

This tour is located in one of the most remote areas of the world, it offers you a challenge through sand country both physically, mentally and at the same time surrounded by the unique beauty of the desert and her elements.

If you are looking for 5 star accommodation and table service then this tour in not for you!

Our point of difference

  • Access to privately owned cattle properties
  • Access to traditional aboriginal owned lands
  • Local knowledge of the desert area 
  • Late model low kilometer Suzuki DRz400
  • Best value and price by far
  • We ride the full French and QAA Lines
  • We run a professionally organised motorcycle tour
  • Expect to have some fantastic meals
  • We have been running the Simpson Desert tour since 2008
  • Awesome 6×6 support truck especially built for the Simpson Desert

Simpson Desert Motorcycle Tour description in brief

6 day tour departing from Alice Springs crossing the Simpson Desert and finishing up in Birdsville.

At Alice Springs we will sort out your luggage the day before and anything else last minute.

You will be riding a motorcycle for 5 days and camp under the stars each for 4 nights.

We have a riders briefing each evening so you know exactly what you are going to do for the next day.

This is a tough trip, it will wear you down each day as the tour progresses further into the desert, do expect to fall off your motorcycle at least once if not more.

To do this tour you will require off road motorcycle experience.

The last nigh is spent in a bit of luxury at the famous Birdsville Hotel with a fabulous dinner and a few laughs and drinks.

You will fly from Birdsville to Brisbane, it is brilliant way to have a bird’s eye view of the deep red sands of central Australia to lush green east coast of Australia as the flight progresses. 

The tours general route on Google Map (approximate route only).
This route can change due to road or weather conditions.

So come on let’s have some fun!!

Picture gallery from previous Simpson Desert Motorcycle Tours

Facebook videos

Watch our official video

Before you attempt the Simpson Desert crossing unsupported watch this video

Cheers Eddy

Highlights

  • Finke Desert race track
  • Mt Dare Hotel
  • Simpson Desert 1100 sand dunes to cross (officially! but who counts them anyway!)
  • Swimming at Dalhousie Hot Springs, a magical place, unspoiled (water temp 39 deg)
  • French Line
  • QAA Line
  • Poeppels Corner (South Aust, Queensland and Northern Territory Border intersection)
  • Birdsville Hotel
  • Desert camping and brilliant stars to see

Desert info

The Simpson Desert Consists of a sea of parallel red sand dunes covering an area of 170,000 sq km (as large as England and Wales). It lies across the corners of South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Rainfall is low, on average 125 mm per year. Temperatures exceed 50 degrees in summer and can fall below zero centigrade in winter.

What is included

  • Motorcycle hire
  • Fuel
  • All Meals
  • Birdsville hotel accommodation (twin share)
  • Birdsville to Brisbane flight
  • Desert parks pass
  • Camping gear
  • Best 6×6 Support vehicle

What is not included

  • Alcohol, hotel coffees
  • Meals in Birdsville

Tour

  • Riding instructions given each day

Your Chosen Tour Date

  • If there is not enough riders to make the tour viable for your chosen tour date we will move your tour date to another date or refund your money back. We will keep you informed at all times regarding numbers. We do appreciate that your time is important

Accommodation

  • We provide all camping equipment (one tent and mattress per person) for the million and one stars a night hotel
  • 1 nights hotel accommodation in Birdsville twin share

Support Vehicle

  • Our tour support vehicle is an all purpose 6×6 specially built for motorcycle tour support and is one of the best

Food

  • “Rough As Guts Outback Restaurant will cater on tour”

Alcohol 

  • Beer and UDL drinks will be transported in our support vehicle for the tour
  • We do not transport any glass bottles

Prior to departure

  • We require you to sign our indemnity form before departure, this is to acknowledge that we cannot guarantee your safety on a motorcycle and to recognize motorcycling is a dangerous activity
  • We require full payment 6 weeks prior from tour departure

Tag-along passengers or riders

  • Tag along available for riders wanting to use their own bike
  • We have available places passengers in the 6×6 or one of our 4×4 vehicles

Motorcycles

  • Look at our motorcycle page for more info on our fleet of tour motorbikes
  • We require a $1000 security bond, refunded in full on safe return of motorcycle

How to get to Alice Springs by air

What you need to bring

  • Personal luggage bag size try to keep it small as you don’t need the kitchen sink
  • Remember you are going to fly on a small plane!
  • Motorcycle riding gear eg: helmet, boots, jacket, gloves etc
  • Sleeping bag, blow up pillow
  • Fly nets are able to be purchased at Mt Dare Station
  • Warm jumper for nights, woolen head warmer (beanie)
  • Casual clothing, foot wear (Joggers) swim ware, USB stick, camera
  • Sun glasses, hat, sun screen, toiletries
  • Spending money eg: alcohol, souvenirs, Efos machines available
  • Camel-back able to carry small items must also have water bladder

Simpson Desert Average Conditions

Month Temp  Rain fall Road traffic Flies
April 16-29 C 9mm Low High
May 11-24 C 11mm Moderate Moderate
June 5-23 C 10mm Moderate Low
July 5-23 C 10mm Moderate Low
Aug 9-24 C 6.3mm Low Moderate
Sep 10-28 C 9mm Low Moderate

6 day Simpson Desert motorcycle tour itinerary 900km
Brief overview

Riders team meeting at 4pm day before departure at our predetermined motel, safety talk and next day’s travel plan.

Day one 330km
Depart Alice Springs at 8:30am
An easy run down the Maryvale Rd for smoko at Rodinga Sliding, the old Ghan train line ruins.
You will have the chance to ride on the famous Finke desert race track after Rodinga Sliding. We will regroup at the second Finke race day fuel stop to see how everyone is going and be mindful of the 12:00 turnaround time rule for track direction. Riding on the Finke desert race track is a reality checker for first timers, you probably won’t last too long on the track as it is rather brutal, energy sapping and requires a certain skill level but it will sure give you an insight what the race is all about and why it is considered so tough of an event!
After Bundooma water tower everyone will be back on the Finke service Rd, from here on the road to Finke can get quite sandy and rough in certain sections, a real car breaker of sorts.
Lunch hopefully will be at the Finke Start/Finish tower baring any mishap.
After lunch hopefully an easy run into Mt Dare Station with a couple pioneering points of interest along the way to have a look at.
Dinner will be at Mt Dare in the restaurant.
There are bush showers and toilets at Mt Dare Station.

Day two 180Km
The day starts of with some pioneering history sight seeing as we leave Mt Dare Station via Blood Ck with pioneering points of interest along way until we arrive at Dalhousie Hot Springs were you’ll get to go for a lovely swim with a water temperature of 39c (great with a cold drink). We are not going to talk it up but this place is a truly a jewel in the Outback.
After your swim we will have lunch and continue another 70km for the day, it is here on this section that you will start to encounter your first real bits of sand and sand dunes. This track which is the start of the French Line will take us to Purnie Bore where we will camp for the night. Purnie Bore has bush shower and a toilet.  This is a good route into the Simpson Desert as it does not throw you into the hard stuff straight away and gives you a chance to develop your riding technique gradually before the hard stuff begins. Purnie Bore does have a toilet and shower with hot water. This is the last shower and civilised toilet until we reach the township of Birdsville.

Day three 120km
The next 3 days for the average rider is going to be challenging physically and mentally.
The day starts off with easy riding until the rig Rd turn off from Purnie Bore, there after you will have to earn your money on your motorcycle as we encounter the first real sand dunes of the tour and the going becomes slower and harder on your motorcycle. For some riders it is going to be a real shock to the system and you will discover you have been watching too much YouTube and you will ask yourself what the hell am I doing here!  While other riders will find it a walk in the park.
Our aim for lunch will be Colson Track turn off.
There are lots of wild camels in the Simpson Desert but very rarely do you actually get to see a live one.
After lunch we will try to break up the riding into small section as to give tired riders a break this will continue until Peoples Corner the next day.
Our aim for the evening camp will be close to Erabena turn off or somewhere close.

Day four 100km
You are going to be tired and sore from the day before and your biggest challenge will be to back up from yesterday’s riding especially if you have taken a few tumbles off your bike the day before as this takes some of your physical strength and confidence away.
It is going to be slower going today on the French Line as there are way more dunes with a lot more lumps and bumps. We are truly in no man’s land and you do not want to have a mechanical breakdown or injury in this particular section.
Our aim for lunch will be Knolls turn off.
The Sand Dunes of death awaits us after lunch it is not a terribly long section, it only last about 4km but you are going to know about it. The sand dunes are much closer together, they have double and triple peaks and the sand seems to be much softer but by now you should have gained enough experience as to keep and motorcycle momentum up and you shouldn’t have any trouble.
Our goal for the afternoon is Poeppels Corner where the three states intersect, Queensland, South Australia and Northern Territory and this means that the hardest stuff is over for the time being.
We’ll take our happy snaps around Peoppels marker and we will do a couple more kilometers to make camp and for a well-earned drink with a good dinner and a big fire!

Day five 160km
The days riding will not be such a tough day as we are now on the QAA Line which will take us all the way to Birdsville. Nobody knows what “QAA” stands for. My guess it is just a grid reference from the French oil company mapping.
The first 20km will be a little bit tight as the sand dunes are still relatively close together but you will soon find that the dunes will gain larger gaps between sand dune peaks so you are able to ride with more speed in between the dunes.
If you have made it this far by now you will have a new found confidence on your motorcycle so you have probably forgotten about your tiredness and aching muscles and enjoy more of the ride as this is truly unique and beautiful scenery to take in.
The sand dunes themselves will also gradually get bigger as you get closer to Birdsville.
You will have one final test called “Big Red” as this is the largest sand dune in the Simpson Desert and you really want to have bragging rights in making it to the top.
We will stay and have a play on Big Red before heading off to Birdsville, back to the big smoke for a nice cold beer at the Birdsville Hotel.

Day six
You will fly out from Birdsville to Brisbane in the morning, the flight its self is an all-day affair stopping at various small towns along the way. You won’t arrive in Brisbane til later on in the afternoon but it is an excellent chance to have a bird’s eye view from red centres changing scenery to the lush green east coast of Australia.

Tour summary
This ride is a tough ride not for the novice but it has beautiful remote Outback scenery and wild life you will not forget in a hurry.

If the Simpson Desert is closed due to an act of god
If the Simpson Desert park is closed for some reason and we cannot make the crossing, we will take the alternate route of Uluru Desert Express Tour 1450km 6 day tour.
On this tours end you will be flying out of Uluru, it will by your responsibility to book your own flight out of Uluru.
We will reimburse you the cost of the original flight from Birdsville to Brisbane at a later date.